Fifth Blight
Fereldan Coalition |Belligerent2 = Darkspawn horde |Commanders1 = King Cailan Theirin † Queen Anora Arl Eamon Guerrin Loghain Mac Tir (†) Duncan † Riordan † The Warden (†) Alistair (†) Grand Cleric Elemena Knight-Commander Greagoir (First Enchanter Irving) (†) Uldred † (Bhelen Aeducan) (†) (Pyral Harrowmont) (†) Kardol (Paragon Branka) (†) (Zathrian) (†) (Lanaya) (†) (Lady of the Forest) (†) Fergus Cousland Arl Urien Kendells † |Commanders2 = Urthemiel † Hurlock Generals † Broodmothers Genlock Forge Master † Genlock Conjurer † Genlock Master Assassin † Genlock Shapechanger † Hurlock Omega † Genlock necromancer † Alphas Emissaries |Strengthdetails1 = Fereldan army Fereldan militia Grey Wardens Orzammar army Fereldan Templar Order (Circle Mages) (Dalish clans) (Werewolves) Legion of the Dead (Steel golems) |Strengthdetails2 = Ogres Hurlocks Genlocks Shrieks Dragon Thralls }} The Fifth Blight occurred in 9:30 Dragon in the nation of Ferelden. The Blight's origins began with the awakening of Urthemiel during a botched experiment by the Architect to make it into a disciple. The darkspawn rabble organized into an army under the Archdemon's banner and launched their attack upon the surface. Hostilities began in southern Ferelden at the edge of the Korcari Wilds. The first major engagement of the war took place at the fortress of Ostagar, where the king of Ferelden, Cailan Theirin, had assembled an army to fight the darkspawn horde. Despite the assurance of the Grey Wardens, the Fereldan commanders did not believe at this time that an Archdemon had risen, and its threat was dismissed. The Battle of Ostagar proved to be a critical point in the war. The king, the Grey Wardens, and the Fereldan army were betrayed and left to die by Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir during a major darkspawn assault on the fortress. Loghain fled the battlefield with his forces and returned to the capital, where he usurped the throne, refused entry at the border to the Orlesian Grey Warden reinforcements, and sparked the Fereldan Civil War. With Ostagar overrun, the horde were free to enter Ferelden proper. Ferelden would have been at the mercy of the darkspawn advance were it not for the survival of two Fereldan Grey Wardens and the infiltration into the country by an Orlesian Grey Warden. The Fereldan Grey Wardens were able to evade assassination attempts and assemble a coalition of dwarves, elves, golems, Circle mages, templars, soldiers from Redcliffe, and werewolves, to combat the Archdemon's forces. Additionally, the Grey Wardens supported the Fereldan royalists, who removed Loghain from power through diplomatic, rather than military, means, and thus put an end to the civil war. The Fifth Blight culminated in the Battle of Denerim, where the Archdemon was slain at Fort Drakon. It was the shortest in history, stopped before it had the chance to gain its full momentum. Prelude Awakening Urthemiel The Architect, an intelligent darkspawn, found the Old God, Urthemiel, and attempted to convert it into a disciple. The experiment went wrong, and Urthemiel was tainted and transformed into an Archdemon. With an Archdemon to lead and rally them, the darkspawn began massing into a substantial military force. The land of southern Ferelden became the focal point of the darkspawn's surface invasion. The horde emerged from the Deep Roads into the forests of the Korcari Wilds. Whether by coincidence or design, Ferelden was an ideal target. The nation was weakened from having recently driven the occupying Orlesians from its borders, and its political structure was fractured, making united opposition unlikely. Most importantly for the darkspawn, the Grey Wardens had only recently been permitted to re-enter Ferelden, and their numbers were few. Grey Warden involvement Grey Wardens had long been entrusted with the task of slaying Archdemons during Blights. With so few present in Ferelden, the Warden-Commander, Duncan, undertook a search for new recruits. Prior to the first major engagements at Ostagar, Grey Warden candidates were searched for in Denerim, Highever, Orzammar, the Circle of Magi, and the Brecilian Forest. The Fereldan Grey Wardens were to be reinforced by 200 or so Grey Wardens sent from Orlais. These Orlesian Grey Wardens, however, were prevented from entering Ferelden by Loghain. Treaties Prior to the Battle of Ostagar, the Grey Warden Joining candidates, including The Warden, ventured into the Korcari Wilds with Alistair and retrieved ancient treaties as part of the preparations for their initiation. Alistair and the Warden retained the treaties and acted independently to deliver them after the disastrous battle at Ostagar. The long-standing treaties compelled the Dalish elves, the Circle mages, and the Orzammar dwarves to aid the Grey Wardens during a Blight. Orzammar royal succession In 9:30 Dragon, dwarven society in the city of Orzammar was fractured by the death of King Endrin Aeducan. There was a power struggle in Orzammar following this event, meaning there was no king who could be compelled to assist the Grey Wardens in fighting the Blight. Two serious contenders emerged during the political infighting: Lord Harrowmont and Bhelen Aeducan. The decision on which of them would accede to the throne would ultimately lie with the Paragons. Dalish elf-Werewolf conflict The Dalish elf clan led by Keeper Zathrian was encountered by the Grey Wardens in the Brecilian Forest during the Fifth Blight. The Dalish were unable to guarantee their assistance, however, as clan members had recently become afflicted with lycanthropy and were under attack from werewolves. Further Grey Warden investigation led to the discovery of the Lady of the Forest, the leader of the werewolves, and of the curse's origins with Zathrian. A revolt on the Circle Tower A chaotic situation occurred at the Circle of Magi shortly after the Battle of Ostagar. Uldred, one of the senior mages present at the Battle of Ostagar, had survived the battle and managed to return to the Circle. He attempted to persuade the Circle to support Loghain, but when Wynne, another senior enchanter who also survived the battle, revealed Loghain's treachery, the Circle denied their support. Uldred then attempted to stage a coup and became possessed by a pride demon. The Circle Tower was subsequently overrun by abominations and demons, which the Grey Wardens had to deal with before either the templars or the Circle mages could assist them against the Blight. Conflicts of the Fifth Blight Battle of Ostagar The army of Ferelden assembled at Ostagar under the command of King Cailan in an attempt to break the darkspawn horde. A plan was made in which the King's army would draw the darkspawn horde into a skirmish. At a pre-arranged signal, Teyrn Loghain would then flank the horde with his troops. When the moment arrived for the plan to be put into motion, things went awry. The tower was overrun by darkspawn, delaying the lighting of the signal. When the signal was lit, the Teyrn retreated. This action resulted in the loss of the king's army, the king himself, and all but two of Ferelden's Grey Wardens. Darkspawn advance With the defeat at Ostagar the darkspawn advanced north. The village of Lothering is overrun as well as the town of Gwaren in the east. Most of the population of Gwaren however manages to survive as they left the town with ships. Fereldan Civil War Following King Cailan's death at Ostagar, Teyrn Loghain usurped the throne and declared himself Regent. This caused an upheaval in Ferelden and sparked the Fereldan Civil War. As part of his propaganda, Loghain blamed the Grey Wardens for the king's defeat at Ostagar and branded them outlaws. He then hired an Antivan Crow assassin to kill the two remaining Wardens in Ferelden. Meanwhile, his closest ally, Arl Rendon Howe, usurped the Arling of Denerim, after having previously usurped the Teyrnir of Highever, and engaged in the torture and imprisonment of subversive nobles, as well as other intrigues, during Loghain's reign. The civil war was resolved when Arl Eamon, the Teyrn's most major political opponent, called for a Landsmeet, resulting in the reunification of Ferelden under the crown. Battle of Redcliffe The Grey Warden allies gathered at Redcliffe. Redcliffe Village was under attack by several darkspawn ogres, emissaries, and numerous darkspawn troops. After a brief siege at the fortress's gates, the attacking force was pushed back. However, the attack on Redcliffe was a strategic feint: the bulk of the horde was actually marching on Denerim, with the Archdemon finally revealing itself at its head. After the Warden annihilated the enemy at Redcliffe, the allied army quickly set off to meet the Archdemon's main force at the capital. Battle of Denerim The darkspawn horde, led by the Archdemon, reached Denerim and attacked before the reinforcements from Redcliffe could arrive. It was estimated to be three times bigger than the allied army the Grey Wardens had formed. The city gates, the elven alienage and the market district saw the fiercest fighting until the hurlock generals were slain by the Warden. Fort Drakon was captured by the darkspawn, and was reinforced following the downing of the Archdemon, who had been forced by injuries to land on its roof. A small team led by the Warden secured the fortress and the Archdemon was defeated. Aftermath With the death of the Archdemon, the darkspawn horde fell back to the Deep Roads, where they plagued the dwarven kingdoms once more, but left the surface world alone for a time. They would later emerge again under the command of two new intelligent darkspawn, the Mother and the Architect, who were engaged in a civil war over ideology. The Grey Wardens began the process of rebuilding their numbers in Ferelden with the assistance of Orlais. They were granted Vigil's Keep and the surrounding lands of Amaranthine for this purpose. During the Blight, many Fereldans fled north to the Free Marches, where many would stay for years to come. Notable veterans * The Warden, Grey Warden (Possibly KIA) * Duncan, Fereldan Commander of the Grey (KIA) * Riordan, senior Grey Warden (KIA) * Alistair, Grey Warden (Possibly KIA) * Cailan Theirin, King of Ferelden (KIA) * Eamon Guerrin, Arl of Redcliffe * Teagan Guerrin, Bann of Rainesfere * Loghain Mac Tir, Teyrn of Gwaren (Possibly KIA) * Greagoir, Knight-Commander of the Fereldan Templar Order * Wynne, Senior Enchanter of the Fereldan Circle of Magi (Possibly KIA) * Aveline Vallen, a soldier (MIA) * Hawke (if he/she is a warrior or rogue), a soldier (MIA) * Carver Hawke, a soldier (MIA) * Morrigan, a Witch of the Wild (MIA) * Oghren, a dwarven warrior See also Storyline for Dragon Age: Origins References